Kagero Topdrawings No. 9
Messerschmitt Bf 109 F
All Models - Plans & Profiles

Reviewed by Glen Porter

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Kagero books have been around for quite some time now, originally in a smaller format, they now come in A4 and usually cover a particular subject, aircraft, Squadron, AFV or ship with lots of text in Polish and English, many good black and white photos, full colour profiles and complimentary decals or masks.

This one's a little different, called the Topdrawing series, this one is No. 9 Messerschmitt Bf 109 F ( all models). There is next to no text, a small amount on the first page, again in Polish and English, and the rest of the book is plans by Mariusz Lukasik and colour profiles by Arkadiusz Wrodel. The first 11 pages consist of plans in 1/72nd scale from the prototypes through to the fictitious F6 variant. More on this later.

Next is four pages of profiles in full colour with port and starboard sides of the F-2 flown by Hptm Hartmann Grasser, Kommandeur of II./JG 51 at Jesau, August 1942. The aircraft is heavily mottled in RLM 74/75/76, yellow fuselage band, wing tips and lower nose cowling, Geschwader emblem on the nose, a white Gruppe bar in front of the rank chevron and 92 victory markings on the rudder. The two page centre spread has port and starboard, plan veiw and underside of wingtips of F-2, 'Black 12', flown by Uffz. Peter Bremer of 2./JG54, Russia, Autumn 1941. Originally in the three greys scheme, this aircraft has been heavily over painted in RLM 02/70/79 with a yellow lower nose panel, wing tips and fuselage band under the cross. The name “Hermannchen” is painted on the starboard side below the cockpit in red and yellow.

On the forth page of the centre are two different aircraft.  The first is a port view of an F-2, Black 7,  flown by Lt. Horst Buddenhagen of 5/JG 3, Darmstadt-Griesheim, April 1941. This aircraft is in RLM 71/02/65 with engine cowling, rudder and spinner in yellow, black exhaust stain panel above wing root, II Gruppe emblem under wind screan and “Schluck=Specht 3” in red on cowl. The other is a starboard view of an F-4 of Oblt. Otto Kath of Stab./JG 54, Siwerskaja, Winter 1941/42. Originally in the three greys scheme, it has been over-painted in winter white-wash, yellow under cowling, wing tips and rudder which also has 6 black victory bars. There are Green Heart and Stab bars on fuselage sides.

There are also two aircraft on the back cover with port and starboard view of each.  The first is F-4, W.Nr.7187, White 4, flown by Fw. Fritz Dinger of 4./JG 53, Sologubowka, October 1941. In RLM 74/75/76 with yellow cowling, wing tips and Fuselage band, “Pic As” emblem on cowl and 10 black victory bars on the rudder. The next is F-4, Black 13, flown by Oblt. Kurt Ubben, Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 77, Berislaw, September 1941.  In RLM 74/75/76 with additional mottling of  70/74/02, it had yellow under nose cowl, wing tips and fuselage band which was also outlined in red, red front section of spinner and 36 victory bars on the rudder.

Of the three profiles shown on the front cover, the top one is an F-2, W.Nr. 5749, flown by Hptm Hans 'Assi' Hahn, Kommandeur of II./JG 2, St. Pol, Mid-July 1941. In RLM 74/75/76, engine cowling and rudder in yellow, the spinner was white with one segment in RLM 70. Rooster head and Geschwader shield on both sides of the nose and 31 vicyory bars on the rudder. The caption for this profile is on the first profile page of the centre. The other two pofiles are shown elsewhere in more detail.

Following on from the profiles is 12 pages of 1/48th scale plans with the same variant coverage as those in 1/72nd scale. The last aircraft shown in the plans in both scales is F-6/U1 W.Nr. 6750. According to Jochen Prien and Peter Rodeike in their “Messerschmitt BF 109 F,G, &K Series An Illustrated Study”, there was no such thing as an F-6. The aircraft shown, W.Nr. 6750 is one of two F-2/U1s especially modified for Adolf Galland, one with two MG 131s replacing the MG 17 above the engine and the other W.Nr. 6750 with one MG FF/M cannon in each wing. Of the F-5 and F-6 variants planned, only one F-5 was built and no F-6s.

1/32 scale modellers are catered for with a fold-out sheet but only one variant is shown, the F-4B bomber version.

The complimentary decal sheet covers all 7 profiles shown in this book in 1/72nd, 1/48th  and 1/32nd scales although no national markings or stencils are supplied.

I compared the plans to a 1/72nd scale Finemolds 109F-2 and it matched very well in all areas except the length of the nose, the kit being slightly short. I have no idea which may be right or wrong although I had a similar problen matchimg an Amodel 109F-4 to a Finemolds kit so may-be the Finemolds is short in the nose.

The profiles only cover F-2s and 4s. There are no Prototypes, F-1s,  Bs, Trops or Zs.

The above minor faults not with standing, this is a excellent book that will come in handy for anyone building any of the very good F kits now on the market in all three scales.

Thanks to Casemate UK for the samples.